Sparrow's Nest
by TheTravelWriter
Summary: Yui took her opportunity when she could and fled the Sakamaki household. She has taken up a career in the S.A.S; or Supernatural Analysis Squadron, but one mission guides her back to her tormentors. Will she bend or break? Trigger warning for violence and gore. There might be a romantic pairing. Also includes OC's.
1. Prologue

I figured I would give Diabolik Lovers a shot after I watched the anime (and found myself extremely disappointed) and settled on giving Yui and opportunity to run away. A rather short prologue to get us started; it will get more interesting I swear. Naturally, after this I will be sticking to my satirish way of describing stuff. Also, in case you're curious, I chose the title Sparrow's Nest after an infamous Japanese story about Sparrows that will trick people into their homes with food and comfort before eating them.

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**PROLOGUE**

She had taken her opportunity when it arrived; she did not need Subaru to tell her when her opportunity arrived. She followed her _own _instincts and fled. She ran until she could not run anymore. She ran to the nearest city and then onwards, pushing aside anyone that dared to stop her in her frightened state, thinking that she was being chased and that they were capable of protecting her.

When her breathing had cooled and her legs stopped hurting, she forced herself to stand, her legs shaking from overuse. She had run far enough, walking slowly down the old beaten road, not knowing where it would take her or if it would even take her anywhere.

Yui had no place to return to. She hated to admit it, but her father had truly abandoned her, and the church had tossed her aside like a sacrifice. It was upsetting, and she was not capable of facing them again. She wanted to trust them, she truly did, but she feared that they would turn her back to the Sakamaki household and then there would be no hope or escape for her.

'I guess I'll just keep on walking.' She thought with a grimace; it was all she could do now, taking one step after the other in her school uniform which, while charming at one point, was crumpled and had a few cuts and patches of dirt on it. She was covered in scratches from stumbling over several times turning her escape, finding herself ashamed of the bite marks that covered her body, wishing that she could somehow bleach them away; erase them from her body forever.

Yui slumped down on the grass, still damp from rain that afternoon which she had heard while she attempted sleep. She did not care if her skirt got wet, tucking her knees close to her body and wrapping her arms around her legs. She was cold and she did not bring a jacket with her. She had brought nothing with her, in too much of a hurry to consider packing a lunch or money.

'So I'll either starve to death or I'll be caught…' She would not starve for a while, though. It would take her at least three days, but by then she would not be able to move, and already her stomach was growling protests at her. Yui would not cry; they liked to see her cry.

She had run quite far, in a forested area somewhere in the country side, large open fields behind her with the start of a forest blocked out by a stone wall that was only half her height. There were no cars, and very little noises beyond sounds she made filled the silence. It was so foreign to her and she was not sure if she could handle it, forcing herself to stand. She was certain that she would come across a house or a building of some sorts at one point, and it would be better than giving up and waiting for death to catch up to her.

Yui pondered what she would do as she walked down the path to an unknown location, head down only the slightest amount so she could still see where she was going but also keep an eye out for any ditches she could fall into. She had no future, as far as she knew. Yui never prided herself in her ability to settle on the future, she simple trailed behind her father doing what he wanted her to do as a child and this had continued into her life in the Sakamaki household; she never thought about herself, or if she did she always needed someone else's permission to go through with it.

'I never thought of how pathetic that sounds.' She had no one to follow now, only herself, and she was left confused and frightened. The first thing she would do was find a place to stay, maybe a family to stay with until she could sort out her situation.

Yui had never walked for so long in her life without a break, seeing the sky lighten from a dark blue into the morning sky blue, orange appearing across the horizon. She had come across no buildings as of yet and was considering giving up despite herself. She had no place to stop and nothing to eat, but she had nothing to call the Sakamaki's to pick her up even if she had gone so far as to give up her freedom again.

'Never really had much of that in the first place.' There was a small light off in the distance and when she stared at it long enough she saw that it was indeed a building standing on the edge of a river. She did not run, too exhausted regardless of her excitement, trudging along slowly, hoping that perhaps she would be allowed to stay.


	2. Chapter 1

Now that I am back from London, I am able to write this down. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

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**CHAPTER ONE**

Taxis always had a habit of standing out, both because of their gaudy yellow colour which was becoming less and less common, and because of their rude habit of driving in front of cars that were driving at a perfectly reasonable speed, specifically around roundabouts. Ichirou let out a groan of protest, rubbing his tired eyes as he stared out of the frosting glass window. He had used anti-freeze, but already it was starting to fail and if he drove for too much longer the whole pane would be frozen over.

"Oi, Yui, can you pass me a drink." Yui resisted her usual urge to say which Yui, knowing that they were talking to her and not the quiet blonde who sat to her direct left, arms crossed and eyes on the window. She opened up the beaten satchel and passed out a can of coke, taking one for herself.

"You thirsty, Eyes?" It was a pet name of sorts, but it would be better to say that they were simply making it easier to call to the two girls; the blonde Yui called Eyes, and the Yui with the slightly purple hair being Sword. While most would not understand the purpose of the names or why they were given those names in specific, people involved in the company would fully understand the meaning.

"No, I'm alright." She was not normally antisocial and most certainly not grumpy, but after hearing about the base of operations and what they would be seeking out, Yui's normal polite and cheerful personality turned hard and cold, and she was reluctant to go; which meant that it was a serious case, or had some involvement in her past that no one yet understood.

The city was call Akasawa, a short distance away from the border of Tokyo city; about an hour's drive. People stayed in the city so they could avoid the chaos that came with a place like Tokyo without living so far in the countryside that they did not even know what a train was. A twenty minute walk away there was a manor house that few people went near without feeling nervous. They knew that people lived there; a family of six sons to be specific. Apparently girls frequently visited the manor house, but they were almost never seen leaving, or if they did leave they were so pale and sickly that they had to be taken to hospital immediately, only to die shortly afterwards.

People went into the house to investigate, in large numbers from time to time, but it was rare to see them come out. It was only natural that they were afraid, so for the most part the general area was avoided, especially if you were young.

But there was only so long that you could continue such a way of life before reason took hold of you. Something had to be done, and ordinary humans with their limited knowledge would not suffice for uncovering the trigger for what was happening within the strange manor, and they alone would not be able to tackle it.

That was when they came in. Specialists for the supernatural or supposed supernatural hired from the next town, if it were to be considered a town at all. They came from a building along the border of a small village that contained rather ordinary people with the occasional abnormal among them, naming themselves the SAS. Sword made the occasional remark on a change of name, but no one felt the need to change it any time soon so it stayed.

When Eyes heard of the case a scowl appeared on her face and her eyes narrowed in a distrustful fashion, declaring that she knew the house and what was inside it. She did not elaborate on why she knew this, and it was clear that she did not intend to, barely listening to the distressed man who had lost his daughter to the strange house. She only glanced when a photograph of the girl was taken out.

A fresh and giggly girl from her old school with long black hair and bright blue eyes. Eyes barely knew her, but saw her in the classroom more than once trying to get the attention of one of her landlords. Eyes almost felt sorry for her, but she did not let her guilt let her feel sorry for leaving.

"How many have gone missing over the past five months?" Ichirou asked carefully, offering a glance as Eyes who stared back.

"It must have been almost ten now." It was not as bad as Eyes thought it would be, but that was still ten missing girls; they must have been hungry. "I'm worried another will go missing soon." Of course, he did not care as much as he said; he was more concerned about his own child. That was how it worked, for the most part, but they did not make such a comment out loud.

"We'll see what we can do. We have quite the reputation." Sword was the one to smirk then, tugging on her necklace which had a small sword on it; it was not the reason she was called Sword.

They did not take money; that was not part of their business, but the man persisted in at least paying for their hotel. After all, they did not know how long they would be there so it would be best to have a place to stay that was not a Landrover. None of them protested; it was free after all, but Ryou grew worried when he saw the hotel.

It was not the cheap hotel they were expecting, several floors high with the entire outside lined by windows that looked orange because of the hallway lights. The entrance hall was spotless and larger than the entire first floor of their home.

"We are _so _in debt." Ryou whispered, both Eyes and Sword nodding in agreement as Ichirou went to the receptionist who gave them a doubting stare, judging their attire and the way they appeared.

"We have a room under the name Hiyama." The receptionist glanced at the computer, typing the name in while the others looked about the entrance hall.

There was a chandelier dangling from the ceiling that Sword did not trust, making sure not to walk under it as she explored the area, plush chairs and a book stand in the corner for anyone that had to wait for tours, a small palm tree adding a bit of green to the orange settings. The floors were polished to the point that it looked like a mirror, the patterns intriguing only for a moment before she lost interest in her tired appearance, her long hair having fallen out of its ponytail and now sticking up when she thought only short hair could do that, yet Eyes hair remained flawless, or at least as flawless as curly untied hair could be. Sword was tempted to creep over and mess it all up, but Ryou took her place, Eyes yelping for a moment before attempting to elbow him in her surprise. She always hated her hair being touched.

"Are you all quite done?"

They never took the elevator; not after the last incident. Ichirou always took the lead, even if he did not know where he was going, his hand resting on the left wall with each step he took. It was a practice they followed whenever it was just them or if someone else forgot to do something similar, Sword looking out the windows to enjoy the scenery. Most people would be scared to look out the windows; it would remind them of just how high up they were, or perhaps encourage them to get a close look. Sword had a total absence of that impulse, enjoying the lights of the city which seemed to reflect the sky she could not see. Ryou focused on the paintings, always a fan of oil paintings, having been an artist in his past. Eyes kept her head forward, looking at nothing but Ichirou's back and occasionally his hand if she thought it had moved out of place.

The hotel room seemed more like a luxury honeymoon mansion room. There was a large, king-sized bed with silk covers and a sofa they could melt into. The window was almost the size of the whole far right wall and showed the entire West side of the city. There was a plasma TV the length of Ichirou's arm and the bathroom had a hot tub. All Ryou could think of was how much they would have to pay back if they failed to return the girl that had gone missing.

"Well, we at least won't be paying for room service." Sword had prepared herself for the situation, filling her satchel entirely with snack foods and drinks and while she had been called paranoid, it seemed as though her paranoia had paid off.

Settling down, it was time to discuss what they would have to do. The main issue was getting into the house without being spotted by whatever was inside. The next issue was getting out without being snuffed out. No doubt, hunters of some sort were expected now that so many ruckuses had occurred. They probably thought it was the church that would get involved, attempting to use their weak methods against them only to have their necks torn out as a result. They all knew how many times that had failed, and Eyes had learnt how to kill a great number of things with her single weapon and her eyes that only a select few could use.

"If one of us enters through the front entrance they will focus their attention on them while the rest of us use the back entrance. One of us will have to distract the company while we locate the missing girl. We don't know how big this place is, so it might take a while." Someone familiar would have to be the distraction. Eyes knew this better than the others and found that she was frowning again, staring out the window just as it began to rain.

"I'll be the main distraction. When we get inside you have 30 minutes to find the girl. If you don't find her then I'm going to stay behind." And probably kill anyone who considered draining her dry. She would normally dislike the concept of murdering another, but if it got too risky she knew full well that they were capable of once angered, and once they sniffed her out she was already trapped. They would have to be wiped out, or she would have to be very efficient in getting out. Either way, she was doomed to face an unnecessary conflict, regretting having come in the first place.

"Alright, well now that that's settled, let's discuss the remainder of the plan."


	3. Chapter 2

Well now Ryou's ability is made obvious, and I have crossed over into two other fanfictions in events that have not happened yet (but will and it will be brilliant and I will not stop laughing). That's right, all of my fanfictions take place in the same universe! (Ikiru's story has not been written yet. But fun fact: Ikiru means 'life' in Kanji and her unusual ability revolves around recreating life while she is in the immediate area, although she can cut this 'life' just as quickly)

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**CHAPTER TWO**

They did not leave right away, with Eyes being less than comfortable with her predicament, and it was common knowledge within the group that if Eyes was uncomfortable with the situation then the chances of survival were extremely low, and Eyes was considered an important member of the group. As a result, Ichirou decided to make a phone call.

Ikiru was leaving the local grocery when her mobile started ringing, the happy bubbly opening of Shugo Chara blaring out of her baby pink bag but not embarrassing her. She picked up with a bright smile on her face.

"Hello, sir." She sang out, walking down the aging streets, grass growing through the gaps.

"I told you not to call me sir."

"Alright, how can I help you miss?" As she continued down the main street and out the village, the mirage began to fade, the once bustling village of cheerful people fading to ruins, the true vision revealed now that the girl who had brought it to life had gone. She never turned back to look at it; she never did.

"There are a few things I need you to answer, Ikiru If you're not still in that place." She offered a moment's glance at the mossy sign of Hirata; long since abandoned or rather destroyed.

"Nah, I'm good. What do you need to know?"

Ichirou hung up after a brief goodbye. Yuka was quite resourceful, and seemed to know everything regarding the paranormal, or perhaps the supernatural, after several occurrences in her early teens. Though she worked for no branch of theirs or anyone else, she was always happy to provide information and she had helped in more than a few cases.

"She has said that since the vampires know Yui, then a small sample of her blood within the household should be enough to attract them to a certain area." In other words, Eyes did not have to get involved completely. So long as she drew enough blood for them to splash in a random room, the vampires would go hunting for the source. Equally, she was aware of the fact that once they realised they were tricked they would hunt down the deceivers and that would be no good for them.

"I'll draw enough for a cup; that's it." Like having her blood donated, but it was for dead people. She never truly asked if they were considered dead, but she assumed it, as in most cases they had no heartbeat. She stared out the window as she always did when she was deep in thought, contemplating how she would avoid the risk of them being hunted as well.

"If we spread the samples around the house at short intervals, so long as they aren't near us it should distract them long enough that we can reclaim the missing girls." Sword brought out. Many times Eyes thought she was a psychic, but she was simply good at reading people's emotions through their facial expressions; even Eyes could not get away from her detection. "It means you'll still be in the building though, but at least they won't find you for a while." Of course she would be carrying the whole thing, unless it was compact sealed.

"…I'll call Masayoshi."

Ryou left the group first. He did not explain in great detail, claiming that he was going to the library to see if he could gather blueprints of the household. They could not wander in aimlessly, and as usual Eyes intended to avoid killing to the best of her ability (even though she would not mind cutting off an arm if she felt it best) so they would have to play a game of cat and mouse as well as avoid one another to avoid disrupting the plan.

The library looked to be a rather modern place, with windows the size of the walls. It certainly would not be a safe place to hide and he could see that the stairs were rather open and exposed, and the bookcases wide apart. Seven floors tall and with elevators to spare, although when he entered he saw that they were out of order. Not that he minded, he had bad experiences around elevators and liked the exercise that came with climbing stairs.

The librarian offered him a strange glance. He was also an unusual person, with a vague absence in his eyes, his eyes unnaturally dark and judging, like he looked down not only on him but his entire race. He would not be surprised if it turned out he was an alien of some sort.

He felt someone stumble into him, a light airy voice stuttering out apologies. Ryou had to turn and apologise, the voice so pitiful it hurt. A young girl with owl-eye glasses and hair that seemed to have a green tinge in the odd lighting.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like I'm hurt or anything." The girl, in her flustered state, plopped the many books on the desk. They were far too advanced for her age and looked to be painful to read even for someone the correct age to read it. For a moment, there was a glimmer of… something in the man's eyes as the girl thanked him for the books before he redirected his attention to Ryou. "I need some blueprints on the Sakamaki household." He could tell that the man had no intentions of batting around the bush and Ryou did not like the consequences that would come of attempting it.

He did not ask Ryou why he needed them, simply rising from his seat and offering the quiet girl a glance. She smiled slightly and trotted behind the desk. No doubt there was some form of relationship between them, but they were not siblings, and there would not be a happy ending.

The back room was crammed with cardboard boxes filled with papers and worn books. The man searched through the 'S' category swiftly and efficiently, not wanting to be near Ryou for too long. He pulled out a case file and handed it to him, keeping his hand as far away from Ryou as possible. He took it with a quick thank you, leaving the storage room and starting on his journey back to the hotel. He had to sign the information out with his name and address before he was allowed to leave. It was fair enough, and the blueprints looked to be quite old so they were probably expensive as well.

'Why would I bother selling them anyway?' Why would anyone bother? The household was not especially known, but he supposed it would work for a museum or a person especially fascinated with the history of the house.

He paused in the middle of the street. He could see Eyes standing in the middle of the street. Standing with her was a man that he did not recognise but knew to be a danger. He was talking harshly and fiercely. Ryou recognised him as an actor of some kind. He knew that the man was related to Eyes and not in a good fashion, he could already see how the argument would end if he did not step in, so he stepped in.

"Yo, Eyes, the others get too boring for you or something?" The man turned. He recognised the face as Kou Mukami. He did not ask how Eyes knew him, because he was good at guessing.

"No, I'm just looking around." Eyes hated to be constrained more than anyone else, and got rather frightening if she thought she was trapped. He was, however, surprised to see that she had gained the willpower to actually walk around the town she disliked the most, and was actually worried for her safety now that Kou Mukami spotted her, because no doubt he would inform others, and then there would be more than simply saving missing girls. "Also this." He caught it immediately. She always knew Ichirou's preferences in terms of what he read. She had gotten as far as the bookstore across town and back again, only metres away from safety. She was good, but she was not fully prepared. She had thought that they would not seek out, but one whiff of the air was enough to hunt her down it seemed.

"Who are you?" Kou was not happy with being left out of the conversation, or rather ignored by Yui after having her disappear without a trace for so long. Ryou tried to suppress a smirk; the poor fool was not aware of the fact that he missed the girl's presence more than her blood and would deny it no matter how clear the evidence. He hated people like that.

"Ryou Kajiru, member of S.A.S. Like her." Kou Mukami recalled the name, the name mentioned in a great number of magazines revolving around the occult or supernatural which he would read more to laugh at how ridiculous human concepts were than to take the tales seriously. Ryou did not like Kou Mukami, seeing his future intentions clearly and with a scowl. Eyes would not be able to escape if she stayed much longer, and his next question was answered before he said it. "We are here because of a number of abductions and we're quite busy. I'm afraid we'll have to leave." Eyes was already turning, keeping her hands at her side but close to where her only weapon was, shoulders tense and eyes alert. For a second, he could see them flicker to the chilling tone they were when she was considering a fight. He offered a weak, clearly not genuine, apology to Kou Mukami before chasing to catch up with Eyes who was speed walking to safety. He knew that they would not be followed, but she did not, never looking back to see if her fears were true.

* * *

In case it wasn't clear, Ryou's ability is to see the path to any future, and because he can see this 'path' he can alter it just as quickly which will lead to a branch of other paths which he can also see. He can only see a week into the future. Also, let's play a game of guess Yui's ability. It's to do with her eyes, I can tell you that much.

Also a shout out to Bakugan5Ds, KRedCali86, Pierrixx lalalala, XxRawringRosesxX, Yui091, , Gregix, imperativa, and lindseyloo44 for following and favouriting.

Yes, Erika, I do think it's a shame she never uses her abilities so I figured it was time to get creative. Thank you for the review. A thank you to guest Alma as well, and Quiet Harmony-Chan for their generic excitement; I hope I haven't failed you.


	4. Chapter 3

As a future tip, never drop blood in the house of vampires, especially if you ran away from said vampires and it is your blood, and you are hiding from said vampires.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

They left in the morning. Not too early so that the vampires would still be awake, but not too close to afternoon, leaving before the rush hour flooded in. Eyes sat in the back of the battered car, arms crossed and eyes shut. She did not sleep well the night before and Ryou knew that she was more afraid than anyone else. In the case sat between her and Sword was a small bag. Inside was a sample of her blood, taken by Ichirou who, fortunately, had experience in the medical field. Also inside the bag were a knife and a few snacks. There was also an alarm, so if Yui got caught she could set it off and they could collect her when the cost was clear. They also had similar alarms. Despite popular belief, the group never left a member behind no matter the circumstances.

"We're here." The house was a good thirty minutes away from the nearest city, located near the mouth of the forest but not so close that you could see the building or its land right away. Eyes stared dimly at the forest, remembering the time she fled while they rested. At the time she never thought much about it, but Ichirou made it quite clear that no ordinary human could run without a break through a city half an hour away and then continue into the countryside. There was something very abnormal about her, and it was not just her blood.

Climbing out of the car, Ichirou drove a little further to ensure the car was hidden before joining the others.

"Eyes, check quickly." Eyes kept her eyes shut for a few moments before opening them. The change from a dull pink to a piercing green always unsettled people who were faced with the eyes. Eyes that could see your every move long before you thought of it. They were never thought of as eyes that could see the future, because Yui could never predict anything beyond the actions of a living being. If scaffolding were to collapse under her, she would never be able to see it coming unless she used her normal senses.

"See anything?" She focused on the minds of the vampires. Most were asleep and dreaming about things she could care very little about, smirking the smallest amount at dreams of takoyaki. They would not wake for a long time, but there were two vampires completely conscious. She could see him talking to that cursed teddy bear, asking all sorts of questions in the corner of his bed. Not exactly the most dangerous of the vampires, but certainly the most unpredictable and creepiest. The other was Subaru. She could see that he was trying to sleep, but he would soon kick open the coffin door and wander into the kitchen, grab himself a drink then skulk back to his coffin.

"Two are awake. One is the middle triplet. He's unpredictable and becomes violent easily. The other is the youngest. He's not as violent as the others, but loses his temper easily. He will leave his room in ten minutes and go to the kitchen to get a drink. He will hear something but dismiss it before returning to his room." She would not predict further, because she knew that doing so could make things worse.

"And the girl?"

Yui searched through the mansion, seeking out the girl. She passed through the cellar and down into what had been labelled the torture chamber. There were only two cells and in one was the corpse of a deceased girl, still fresh and chained to the wall. Sooner or later Kanato would turn her into a doll for his little collection.

The girl was still alive, but barely. She was lying on the cold floor, beaten and bruised. She hardly looked alive at all. It was not until she heard the door open that she turned her head and Yui disconnected from the future event.

"She's going to need a therapist after this." Yui did not get the pleasure of having a therapist; she had to take care of herself. But this girl was in worse condition than her, she could only hope that what she saw twenty minutes in time would not be the end of the poor girl's life.

They discussed the plan once again; making sure everyone knew the route and what to do if they had to resort to plan b. The girl was in the underground prison and they would have to pass by the kitchen as well as the living room to get to the door. They also needed a key to open the door to the dungeon as well as the cell door. Eyes knew for a fact that the door for the cellar was kept at the top of the fridge, but did not know where the cell door keys were, in too much pain and terror to focus on where Laito or Ayato got them from.

"Guess we'll have to pick-lock it. Can't blow it up without risking waking the whole family. Sword, I'm sure you can handle that with your… set of skills."

"Who do you take me for? I'll have it done in twenty seconds flat." She gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. Eyes hoped that she would be able to follow through; she was not certain how long it would take waking vampires to find her.

"Alright, with that in mind, I wish everyone the best of luck."

"Same to you, Ichirou."

Careful among entering, Yui made sure that Subaru was still in his room before stepping into the kitchen. It would be another five minutes before he considered getting himself a drink, so she had plenty of time to set up bait. Creeping through the dark, Yui let her hand brush against the wall as she passed through the kitchen and stepped into the living room. The others were already in the living room and making their way across the room. She would have to make sure the blood trail drew away from them, creeping across the entrance hall and into the dining room. She understood that the moment the lid opened, they would sniff it out. Vampires, after all, had a very strong sense of smell especially when it came to their favourite prey.

Opening the lid, she dripped a small amount onto the wood and listened out. She could feel it rather than hear it, and when she used her eyes all she could feel was horror. They were already wide awake and she had only just set up the first bait. She had to move fast. Ayato would leave his room first and teleport to the dining room. That was only in a few seconds; she needed to move onto the next room and hide.

Bolting forward, Yui opened the door to the next room and slammed it shut, taking shelter and closing the lid. As she thought, within seconds Ayato could be heard walking around the dining room. He saw the blood immediately and drew his fingers along it. He could tell it was fresh and upon tasting it he recognised the taste within no time at all. It was hers, without a doubt. He let the smirk grow on his face and turned his eyes to the next room. The reek of terror poured out of her veins.

"Oi, pancake, I know you're there."

* * *

In case it's a little confusing, Yui's ability revolves around her eyes and she uses these eyes to predict a living beings actions. She's like a ghost in the future as she floats around that person in the future. She cannot, however, predict the actions of nonliving beings. As explained above, if scaffolding were to collapse by accident or the building were to burst into flames, she would not be able to predict it as her abilities only resolve around people.


	5. Chapter 4

Just before I wander into the abyss of art, a lot of you have been asking for this next chapter so here you go. Let the wonderful hunt begin. Or not... Even I'm placing bets on what happens next.

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

It was always a mystery how people could live in buildings of so great a scale. Sword never liked large places and preferred her apartment to the mansion; it would be incredibly lonely living in such an open environment and she would start to grow paranoid about her inability to defend herself. Her ability certainly required an open space, but she felt much more comfortable snuggled into crevices where everything was protected. That was why she had her bed pressed against the wall and it was also why she always slept facing the open area.

They caught a glimmer of Eyes as she passed by the kitchen feverishly. She was never certain about her visions ever since her slip up several months ago. Sometimes they were off by a few minutes, other times they completely dismissed certain events. It was her own mind that messed it up; she was so afraid of messing up that she did it unconsciously; this was something Ichirou said.

"Right, that's the door open." She did not have to use her own skills to open the door; Ryou was practiced in picking an old lock and with it being as simple as it was there was next to no struggle. The vampires never thought people with skills would be breaking into their house, so of course they never got an actual decent lock to protect their lovely torture chamber soon to come.

The wine cellar came first. A dark and dreary place that looked as though it had been never used, which made sense. Who needed wine when you had blood? The wine cellars would continue on for a while, filling up three rooms, before they would face the chamber door. _That _would require Sword's expertise.

Yui damned herself for not hiding herself properly. With a nose as sensitive as his, and a complete dismissal of darkness, he would be able to spot her in no time. She wished she had opened the curtain; the light would certainly blind him, even if only for a minute. She needed to distract him, and the others soon to awaken, or she would be dead and so would her friends. They were far stronger than other vampires they had faced and Yui hated the idea. She wished she had protested more, had fought back with more ferocity. Perhaps they would have lived a little longer if that had been the case.

"What do we have here?" She had been caught. She could see those eyes that had filled her nightmares looming over her, the smile cold and vicious; she could see his fangs clearly.

He yanked her up not by the arm but by the hair. She would not scream out because she knew that would only trigger him to use more violence for the sake of his own sick entertainment. He did not look happy to be there, and it seemed as though he would tear out her throat any moment. However, Yui could see that glimmer in his eyes that led her to feel a moment of guilt before she remembered her own situation; she would not feel any form of sympathy; not now.

"Has Pancake missed yours truly? So much that she'd come back screaming out, 'please take my blood, I beg you'?" She suppressed the urge to hiss at him as he took a firm hold off her arm. There was a tone to his voice that said he would be happy if that were the case. She would not mock him by lying; it was not in her nature to lie regardless of the situation and who she was speaking to. "Do you think yours truly will forgive you that easily?" Anger was picking up in his voice; she needed to release his grip as soon as possible.

She unscrewed the lid of the small glass jar and she could feel Ayato tense up. The smell was overwhelming to him; a sweet, delicate smell of blood he so desperately craved in a beaker he thought was especially for him, like a peace offering from the girl he would not admit he missed just as much as the blood. But if she thought sacrificing such a small amount worth nothing to her, then she was a fool.

"Go blind." She threw the beaker in his face, the blood splattering over his face and his eyes. He let out a yell of protest, releasing her just enough to rub the blood off his face, the odour threatening to drown him as she used her free arm to punch him square in the stomach, the hand gripping her hair releasing. She was glad to stay she had a vicious punch but did not waste her time standing in pride, taking her small opportunity to flee the room. She needed to hide and she needed to hide fast; she was never ready to face an angry Ayato.

She also needed to contact the others. She needed to let them know that there was a vampire on the loose and he was hunting her down. She tucked herself into a small crevice under the stairs, trying to calm herself. It was always said that they could sniff out fear and that was true. If she was calm enough, it would be a challenge to sniff her out, especially with her blood splattered across his face.

Using her eyes, she could see Kanato making his way down the stairs and soon enough she heard the gentle creaks above her. Laito stirred and would follow soon afterwards. Her prediction had altered due to her clumsiness and now everyone was at risk. She would not set off the alarm, though. That would let the vampires know where she was as well.

'Still, they need to know.' She could see that Yui and Ryou were already in the basement; Yui would be using her ability soon. They needed at least ten minutes to get the girl out and start their escape. She hated it; in ten minutes she could easily be captured and killed. She was a good fighter, but she was not the best. She could take on one vampire, maybe two, but six was impossible for her and she could already see Reiji stirring.

"Ayato, you smell strange." Said the quiet, often tired voice of Kanato. She hated him the most, or more like she was creeped out by him the most. "It smells like Yui."

"Shut up, I'm busy right now. Pancake's ran off." Not far, she thought as she heard the conversation continue. Kanato was quick to become frustrated and fall into hiccupping sobs; his most efficient means of getting attention or what he wanted. Thanks to his baby-face, it worked half of the time.

"Bloody hysteric. Oi, you better not take her; I found her first." How demanding; always wanting to get in on the blood first. She needed to distract them, shuffling over to the door. She was glad she had left it slightly open, just enough that she could see through the crack. It was risky, and she had nothing to throw at them.

"Who did you find first?" Laito asked. Yui did not hear him come down the stairs and almost flinched. She did not like their ability to teleport; it would mean she would never be safe once they saw her.

"Yui's returned." His sobs had faded, though he sounded frustrated still and at risk of falling into another fit of anger.

"Eh, Bitch-chan's decided to pay a visit?" He seemed surprise, though she could hardly blame him. After all, who would want to come back to such a place willingly?

"Yeah, but she ran off." The blood still stained Ayato's face; he drank what he could but the rest had dried. He had missed the taste just as much as everyone else and was fortunate enough to have a sample before he had the meal; only another reason to frustrate Kanato and send a shiver of envy up Laito's spine. Yui would be glad for the attention if they weren't all psychopaths and even then it would be too much for her own mental stability.

"Well I guess we have to play hide and seek then. Whoever finds her first gets to keep her."

"Oi, you keep your hands off what belongs to yours truly!"

To hear a conversation about hunting her down was less than pleasant. They would tear about the whole building seeking her out, and that was a danger to the others who had only just found the only living girl. All the others were dead, soon to be tossed outside and out of sight. The girl was in no state of health and needed to be sent to hospital immediately. Several more minutes were needed to get the girl out of sight and the group to safety.

'Well, I guess I have no choice in the matter.'

Mustering up all of her remaining courage, she kicked the door open and faced the vampires head on.


	6. Chapter 5

All I can say for this chapter is: well fuck. As a future note to anyone reading this, Irfan makes brilliant music that helped me in writing this as well as my original fiction 'Not A Legend' which I have a link to on my profile. I also do art and art commissions and frequently do pages for three separate fanfictions also on this sight if anyone wants to have a look at those as well. Again, thank you for all of your support; I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Thinking on it, Eyes was unusual long before she was labelled 'Eyes'. This was something Yui was told, never shown, as she only knew Eyes after she had gained the title, and at the time she was a fresh, young member of the team who was yet to see any action or put her own skills into full action.

She was a vague, distant girl at the time that was seldom in the presence of others, and when she was she was staring into nothing. Yui knew of her ability through thorough interrogation of Ryou who she successfully cornered.

"Alright, alright. She can see other people's futures. Just people, nothing else. Now back off." Ryou was still in school at the time and always seemed to be frustrated by one thing or another. He came to the S.A.S for peace and quiet, not interrogation and Yui made sure to apologise soon afterwards.

However, she could tell that he was not telling her the full truth and settled on the fact that in order to have her queries answered she would have to ask Eyes personally. So she followed her senior as she went about her daily duty of buying stuff for the fridge; milk and butter for the most part.

It was strange seeing her in an urban environment; dressed in her pastel Yukata specifically for the slowly warming weather. She just looked unusual in it, and there were no festivals occurring any time soon so others thought it unusual as well, not that Yui cared to offer them a single glance, keeping her eyes focused on every step she took, forgetting that her friend was even with her.

"Um… Eyes?" She paused, recalling that Yui was with her, turning with a faint glimmer of what she thought was a smile on her pale face. Her eyes were so empty it was abnormal, and Yui thought it suspicious that one so caring could have such hollow eyes. "I was wondering, about your ability, you can see other people's futures, can't you?"

"Yes. That is correct." Her voice came out steady and calm, wavering not in the slightest as people passed by them, a young girl staring far ahead at something none of them could see before her friends called her away.

"But that's not all it is, is it? There's something else wrong with your eyes."

"My eyes?" She tilted her head the smallest amount, the smile shaping her face delicately. She was beautiful then, but in a sad way. "What if I told you these were not my eyes?" Yui looked on surprised. She was not sure if Yui was joking or if she was completely serious as her expression failed to alter in the slightest.

"Not… your eyes?" The smile widened, and a slight snigger could be heard escaping her mouth as Yui raised her hands to cover her eyes.

"That's right. These aren't my eyes."

Breaking through the cell, Ryou was the one that took the first step in, feeling nauseous simply by being there. All of the equipment had been used, and it was bloody. The girl was huddled in the corner close to a large bath tub full of icy water. She, herself, was dripping with water, her long locks almost frozen together, her fragile frame curled into a tight knot of bones, vague eyes staring ahead. It was those eyes that triggered Yui's memory. The sheer emptiness and similarity was staggering. Was this what Eyes experienced before she fled?

"Hey, don't worry; we're getting you out of here." She looked up but showed no relief nor terror. She was littered with bite marks and few had healed. She was barely alive and with how much blood was taken out of her, Yui could see why she looked so dead.

"Come on, Eyes might get caught soon." Ryou lifted the girl into his arms. She was very thin so it was hardly a challenge to lift her. She would need to go to a hospital immediately afterwards, and then she would need therapy. She would need a lot of things to get past this.

Yui set off the alarm. It was intended solely to deafen them, the high-pitched screech forcing them to cover their ears in a weak attempt to defend themselves. She took that opportunity to sprint, running with the alarm to the exit before throwing it aside. She could at least hide in the woods for a little longer before she was captured. So long as they stayed on her trail rather than the others. The remaining S.A.S would pick her up once it was safe, she need only hold up until then.

"So whose eyes are they?" Yui found herself asking Eyes, neglecting her nervousness as she spoke.

"To be honest I don't know. I was in the hospital at the time and blind. I only know his voice." His voice was like a melody that looped in her head over and over again. He had such a lovely, gentle voice and she could not, for the life of her, recall his name. She wondered if he had ever given her his name. "And shortly afterwards he died in a car accident, so it doesn't matter."

Yui and Ryou heard the screech of the alarm just as they slipped through the kitchen door. It was not good. They had tracked Eyes down and neither had any idea how many were awake. The unfortunate truth was that now they were all awake; you'd have to be deaf to miss such a sound.

"Let's get her in the car first." They had to make it through the forest before they went about rescuing Yui. The same path would be taken to safety, and hopefully her skills would keep her alive until then.

Yui clambered up a tree. Until last year she almost never climbed trees, now it seemed to be a daily habit whether she was in danger or not. To keep them off her friend's path she would need to slip out some blood. Running away while drawing them in; a complete contrast in motivation.

She bit into her thumb with great strength, struggling to pierce the skin and letting out a short yelp when blood oozed out of the wound. It would not be enough to give her position away instantly, but it would guide them in her general direction.

When the screeching eased into a stop, they released their ears and Kanato furiously stomped down on the device, infuriated by its sheer existence. There was a slight caution that Yui may have more, but they doubted her intelligence on that matter; after all only an idiot would break into the house in the first place.

"Geez, she's sure playing hard to get." Laito whined slightly, the ringing still in his ears. She had been practicing the running away game for a while it seemed, and had charged straight into the forest. Ayato had already gone, pushing past the noise and launching out of the building to catch up with Yui who had gotten faster over the past few months. It was a pain, but his full intentions were to capture the girl and make sure she never left their side, and he disliked the idea of Ayato grabbing his prey first. It would be such a waste if she were to be taken by such a person.

"Oi, what was that?" Subaru burst though, his expression sour and vicious. It was his natural look for the most part, though Reiji's expression was not.

"Bitch-chan's playing hide-and-seek." That was all he needed to say to see their faces twist into an unusual combination of shock, delight and anger. To think they were all capable of the same level of excitement over a single blood source was hilarious if anything and the girl in the cell would soon be dismissed once Yui was recollected.

Hearing footsteps, Yui threw herself into the next tree, swinging herself safely onto the branch. It was a game of cat and mouse, and the cat was growing persistent. She could not tell which one it was, and she did not want to waste a single second with the eyes to find out whom. She listened closely before jumping one tree back. No doubt they heard that and she could hear the footsteps speed up. She could not make another jump or they would pin in on her, but she could not stay in place or they would sniff her out.

"Found you." She let out a yelp as her shoulders were grabbed from behind, twisting her body and drawing her single weapon to cut at the face. She missed, but her shoulders were released as she fell to the ground with a heavy thunk. It was not her grandest landing, but she was quick to rise, pointing her weapon at the vampire that had found her.

Her vision was terrible at night. It were as though she were blind and she cursed herself for having such embarrassing eyesight, pointing the knife only forward and listening closely to the sound of footsteps. They were at least smart enough to know that getting too close would result in a very painful cut, and she stood firmly in place, implying that she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Seems you've had practice, Pancake." She cared little for the name or the comment, smirking now that she was certain of the vampire closest to her.

"I suppose you could say I've had to fight a lot over the past few months." She could hear no one else; perhaps they were far away. No, they had most likely teleported around her. She could feel their presence even when she could not see them. Whether she liked it or not, she was surrounded and she could not fight them on her own. "But I know when I'm defeated." She threw the knife on the ground and raised her arms. What she would go through would be hell on earth; she just hoped that she would be saved fast. "I surrender."

* * *

Let's place bets on who I decide to kill. That's how I spend the time.


	7. Chapter 6

Best way to find out if something works? Test it out yourself. It's surprisingly easy to provoke someone to come closer to you through taunting even if they know they're not supposed to. I also studied how to knock someone out with a single punch. Not on real people, of course.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

Her memories were vague, mangled and twisted like her body had been shortly after the terrible accident, too wrecked to be considered mobile ever again, lying in the sterilized hospital bed blind and with a constant ringing in her ears, most of her body numb as a result of the strong drugs and nerves killed by shattered bones and torn muscle, stapled back together, later leaving scars that were reminiscent of Frankenstein.

He was in the bed to her direct right, confessing to falling into a familiar accident: a car crash that killed his girlfriend and best friend. He was the only survivor with both his legs shattered and a ruptured spleen, and even the doctors were uncertain as to what was making his condition worse. He figured it was his own lack of motivation to stay alive: guilt wrecking his figure, constant nightmares tugging him from left to right knowing that he was the one driving the car and he was the one that crashed it.

He would talk to her even though she was unable to speak back, her throat scorched and in a state of ruin for several weeks before she could muster the strength to speak a single word.

"Heard you could talk again. Isn't that great? I bet you have quite the pretty voice." He was the one with the charming voice, a gentle Southern accent flowing into the polite dialect he was trying to communicate with. She could only move slightly then, sitting up occasionally when she felt she was ready. She would wonder what he looked like. Did he have dark hair and dark eyes, or did he have freckles and bright eyes? Was he tall or small? It was amazing how many questions she would ask once she was blind. She was told that she would never see again, that was unless a donor came quickly.

"How did you get into that state? From what I've seen, you're not the reckless kind." She would not agree with him on that matter, having done a great deal of reckless things in her past. She intended to avoid doing such things in the future.

"I tried to save a boy. Turned out he was dead all along and I was chasing his ghost." It was his choice on whether he believed her or not, hearing a whistle come from his lips.

"Guess you have some freaky power too." She turned her head to him, implying her curiosity and her need for him to elaborate. "I got some special eyes too." She could hear the gentle tap of his finger against his temple. Her hearing had improved tenfold since the ringing had stopped, almost overwhelmingly so. The loudest of noises could drive her insane if she did not cover her ears. "I can see into people's futures. Just peoples. Wouldn't be able to tell you if that scaffolding were to collapse and crush that car, but if I person were in there I could tell you that they'd die when a heavy weight would crush them to death, and I could tell you when this would happen, but that would be it."

"That sounds… exhausting."

"Not once you can figure out how to switch it off. Once you do that you can rest easy for as long as you want."

"Wish I could do that." She could not help but feel a tug of envy over his control. She could not switch her abilities on and off no matter how much she wished it, though now because her eyes were boiled and destroyed it would be easy to never see the dead again.

"You could learn. There are teachers." She chuckled, more to herself than to the man, lying a small hand over the fresh bandages.

"I'm afraid it's a little late for that."

Her eyes wandered as she drifted back into consciousness, flickering shut for several moments before she was able to focus them, moving her foot the smallest amount to test whether her feet were bound together. Thankfully, they were not, and upon further investigation she found that her hands were free as well. It was quite foolish of them, but then again they probably thought their presence alone was enough to keep her imprisoned, especially considering the fact that she had openly surrendered, tossing the knife to the ground and raising her hands in defeat.

She recalled the vicious grip of each arm, lest she try to flee at the last minute, and the protests of those who did not get the opportunity to take hold of her, though the real whiner was Kanato who she could see just out of the corner of her eye, beyond her cell and talking almost cheerfully to the mute teddy bear she always disliked the presence off.

'And he's the craziest.' She thought, shutting her eyes at the slightest tilt of his head, suspecting her awakening.

"Hey, Teddy, what do you think we should do when she wakes up? She needs to be punished, but I can't think of anything that will teach her how much she's hurt us without killing her." That did not sound good. His small punishments were terrible enough; she could still feel the fork stabbing into her flesh as a consequence of taking too long in making French toast. She could not imagine what a 'serious' punishment would be. The chances were that she would be forced to remain conscious throughout the whole thing, yet another concept she did not particularly enjoy.

'I'm going to need to get rid of him before I break down this cell door.' Waking up and looking baffled would not do; the torture devices were inside the room after all and easily accessible for people outside the prison room. She rolled onto her side and sighed, as though asleep. She wished the water in the tub was boiling hot then; she could probably blind him before knocking him out, that was if vampires could even be knocked out.

She had no sharp weapons on her; there was no way she could stab him or draw her own blood to draw him near enough to attack. The sharpest object would have to be her own teeth and it took a lot of strength to bite your lip so hard it bled out.

'The smell would just draw the others.' Accepting there to be no other choice, she spoke out.

"I'm awake." She said clearly, rising off the ground, tilting her head to observe Kanato's reaction. His face was just as frustrated as she thought it would be, stopping him mid-sentence while communicating to the occasionally possessed teddy bear. She would not show fear or concern, knowing that was exactly what the Sakamaki brothers looked forward to the most, standing as tall as she could and walking to the doors as Kanato watched, knowing full well that she could not leave without catching his attention.

Kanato saw the difference in the way she stood and the way she composed her face. Still quite delicate in appearance with glass-like eyes and skin still pale like porcelain; in appearance she was still very much a doll. Her fashion was still as cute as it was, in a relatively frilly skirt and sweater designed to make her seem far more harmless than the rest of her showed.

He did not like her face then. Before she was so expression and had the most hilarious big eyes when she was shocked, making tiny little sounds as she cried whenever she felt she was cornered. He used to adore that pained expression that was almost always on her face. But now it was stern, concealed. Eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed only the smallest amount, a hint of a scowl on her face the only sign that she was extremely uncomfortable with her situation, and he suspected she had been practicing in not expressing herself.

He rose, taking his time in walking up to her, observing every difference with an increasing frown. She had also been in a great number of fights, judging from the scars and burnt dotting the nicks of flesh he could see, a touch of red noticeable around the eyes.

"Don't get too close, Kanato, I might start thinking creatively." Her voice was harsh, lower than the voice he recalled whenever he thought of the girl and how to punish her for fleeing. He preferred the original voice; it was much sweeter and had a gentle ring to it that he personally wanted to tear apart.

"Hey, Teddy, she just sounds awful doesn't she? Maybe we should start by cutting off her tongue." That would be a foolish idea. Yui observed it as an opportunity to bite off his fingers if he felt he was capable of it. "Oh, that's right. If we do that she'll bleed out before we finish." He mused for a short while, noting her eyes. They were the same pink hue, but for some reason he found himself detesting the sight of them. He just wanted to stab them out a get her a new set, if she deserved that much. It would certainly teach her quickly, and if she did not have those wretched eyes she could never look at someone else again, which suited him just fine. "I think we should start now, isn't that right, Teddy?"

As he shifted though, Yui calculated her chances. She had a very strong kick and just as strong a punch. If there was nothing else to knock him down with that would be enough, turning her whole body to face him, resisting the urge to cringe that the sight of the smile that would twist at the slightest opportunity to cause her pain; he had no doubt set on something overwhelmingly painful.

"You didn't think this through." She stated rather coldly, setting a smirk of her own on her face. There was only one chance before her and she could not afford to screw up, clenching her fist and throwing it full force at Kanato face, throwing him down to the ground. "Next time you should knock me out before issuing punishments." He would certainly become vicious upon waking up. She had struck directly below the chin. Vampires were a completely different species from humans, but you could still hit the same nerves and cause the same damage.

Tipping the water out of the tub as she dragged it over to the iron bars, Yui tilted it so that the feet where hooked into the horizontal bars.

'Pirates of the Caribbean, you have saved my life once more.' Mustering her strength, she pulled on the rim of the bath, hearing the heavy clunk of the iron beating against the stone above, dipping inward the smallest amount. She need only shove it before she was free, standing in the bleak torture room relieved that the cell had not been modernised, otherwise her only way would be to pick the lock and she had no pick. It was certain that someone heard the sound and would come to investigate soon enough. And Kanato could awake at any given moment; the chances were that vampires could regain consciousness faster than humans as well, which gave her only a couple of minutes before the vicious boy reawoke and got his revenge on her. She intended to be outside of the manor house when that happened. 'Right, now to get outside.'


	8. Chapter 7

Thanks to one of my many readers for their tips. As a warning, there is a torture scene in this, though that kind of comes with the name.

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Quiet in the hospital room was the girl with the long black hair and starved face, a drip supplying her blood her body desperately needed, still with her eyes shut and heartbeat low. Her father was next to her, clucking her pale hand with his forehead pressed against the knuckles praying for her health and well being with the smallest prick of tears in his eyes.

Yui need only watch for a few moments before looking away, copper eyes focussed on something else entirely; the tense figure or Ichirou who sat with his chin nestled uncomfortably along his knuckles, hard eyes staring ahead, concern for Eyes reasonable.

It had been two hours and she was yet to appear. Not only was she dangerously fast, but she had her phone on her, so if she were out of the danger zone it was to be expected that she would call them, yet there was no such thing. It was his natural assumption to believe that she had been captured.

'Even if it's her…' She did not bet high on her survival. It was a danger going close to the building, better yet entering and it was only Eyes' blood that prevented them from being hunted down. Now she was alone in there, and she was guaranteed death if left too long.

"Let's go. Maybe we'll get lucky." It was unlikely, but for any member of their group they were willing to try anything.

* * *

_She remembered the accident well. She was not in her right mind; far from it. Only two days after she witnessed the incident her mind went straight into shock, drifting to a place she no longer recalled. It felt as though she herself was underwater trying to swim to the consciousness of sanity, but something pulled her down. When she would turn to see what clawed at her feet, she would see a woman she did not recognise with eyes a green she had long since come to fear, the whites pitch black, those bulging red veins almost hypnotic as the beautiful figure came closer._

_Only one person saw her face before it happened. Even when her eyes were replaced he would still see that abnormality. One eye the rich pink of her iris, the whites black with bulging veins, the other iris green. He said she smiled a manic smile before letting her body fall backwards, the road splattered red as the car smashed into her side, rupturing organs and shattering bones, dragged along before her body dropped back down to the ground, rolling for a few moments before coming to a stop, the white kimono she loved so dearly dyed a completely different colour as an ambulance was called._

* * *

She felt that same sensation of being underwater then, her body loose and light, her blonde curls floating as though in free fall, the whole world a shade of blue as she stared upwards at something she could not quite see, a muffled voice calling out to her. She would reach out, but could not.

Pain ripped through her lungs as she was torn forcibly back to reality, coughing and spluttering as her head was yanked back out of the ice cold bath water, allowed to drop to the ground barely able to breath, her lungs on fire, spitting out water as she tried desperately to regain oxygen.

"You think that'll do? Next one."

Translucent memories reminded her that she had only gotten to the cellar stairs when Kanato woke, dragging her back to the cell. He was furious beyond all discussion and reason and she kept quiet for the simple fact that speaking would make it worse, bracing herself for violence as her head was forced down into the water. Once. Twice. Almost a whole minute between each time, repeated until she lost consciousness, if only for a few seconds.

Her body was dragged over to a chair, leather binders tightened around her arms with feverish excitement, a smile of pure glee stretching across the childish face as he searched through the great number of devices, discussing with Teddy almost frantically how he would punish her, pulling out a basic metal tool box, rusted with age and with a great number of tools in it. Yui stared intensely at the hammer in Kanato's pale hands, fearing exactly what he would do. She did not bite her lip or beg, restraining the desire to show any sign of panic beyond the tapping of her pinkie.

"Which one do we start with, Teddy? Eh? The left…" He stared at the tapping pinkie and let his smile stretch further as she stopped, taking one of the many aged nails out of the toolbox, balanced perfectly above the knuckle joint of her pinkie finger. "How many do you think will do? We can't do both hands because then she can't cook." The idea of Yui not being able to cook was upsetting for him for reasons he could not understand himself, but one hand would be just enough. After all, surely you could cook with just one hand.

Raising the hammer, he struck down, a yelp tearing through Yui's silence, forced down moments after she committed to it, the metal shattering the joint bone, fragments splitting into each other, deeper into the skin, red blood oozing only the smallest amount out. Kanato reached for another nail as Yui forced herself beyond the pain, spurts of anguish pulsing through her body as he reached for another nail, aiming for the next joint in the pinkie, the sharp end delicately balanced just above the wrinkled skin,

Yui unintentionally tensing her body as she saw the nail hover, Kanato staring at her for observation, noting the shut eyes and teeth on the plump lip. Striking down, Yui bit straight through the skin of her lip as she suppressed her scream, the red rush instantly luring Kanato in.

"Are you in pain, Yui?" He said it almost tenderly, as though he had no intentions of harming her, stroking the pale doll face, a red glow of life he had never seen during her visit to their manor there. She almost looked like the girl he adored almost a year ago, but her eyes were hard and fierce still, and he felt the desire to tear them out then, but his eyes were on her lips and he could not resist the urge, pulling closer to get a taste.

As sweet as ever, even with the bitterness that came with terror and fright she was delicious, close to consuming her before he remembered her punishment for he knew that she needed to learn her place before he allowed her any shape or form of pleasure, pulling away and forgetting his impulses to return to his business, hating the disgust in Yui's eyes, demanding submission or guilt to appear there.

"Next one."

* * *

_She remembered the muffled voices of unfamiliar people, her body rocking gently back and forth as a mask pumped oxygen into her barely functioning lungs, the strange tug of her shoes being removed before surgery. She let her mind drift back and forth, never able to understand her situation, something tugging on the back of her mind._

_The woman was there once more, tugging gently at her locks pulling her back into the abyss with a smile on her face._

"_Fight." Her voice would say, pulsing through the strange underwater place, sending ripples beyond her vision, releasing her, forcing her forward and to the surface. "Fight!"_

* * *

Something unnatural tore through Yui for a single moment, the hand twisting into a fist, the first brace bracket snapping off the oak wood of the chair, the second on the brig before Yui snapped through consciousness, the unnatural sensation melting away suddenly, the pain in her hand returning with great force, letting out panic yelps as she began to realise she had shifted the injuries.

Kanato knelt frozen, his own eyes on Yui's as he saw something chilling yet familiar. The green and black lurking somewhere at the back of his mind, tugging on cords he could not quite reach. Yui was a weakling by nature, so to imagine her capable of breaking the chair through her own strength was laughably unsettling.

"I'm cutting out those eyes." He could not stand the sight of them. They made him physically sick and the recent sight encouraged him further, searching for something that would get rid of them quickly. He did not want to make the process long; he just wanted them gone and away immediately, taking the sharpest of the knives. "What colour would you like me to make your new ones? I like purple, but pink eyes are nice on you." He let the knife wander over the left eye and then the right. Which one was the green one? He could not remember.

The sharp edge wandered just millimetres away from the right pupil, the gleam of the artificial light shining off the edge, panic flooding her mind, every muscle tightening, bracing for immediate attack as her mind so desperately tried to find an escape route. Her arm moving almost entirely on its own, breaking through the braces with strength that was not her own, grabbing the knife by the blade, slicing through soft skin and hooking into the thumb as she threw it aside, her mind no longer her own as she lunged forward, still with one arm braced and both legs pinned in place, the abnormal eyes glared cursedly at the restraints before dismissing them as pure child's play, pulling forward and breaking free.

* * *

"Eyes could become something completely different if her life is in danger." Ichirou said as he got in the car, starting the engine with frantic, twitching movements, Yui climbing in next to her.

"I don't understand, sir."

"A lot of things were replaced in her accident, but the one thing that remained active was her heart. Even if the doctor's needed to remove it, it's impossible. That thing is not her own; it belongs to something far more wicked."

"I… still don't understand." Running a hand through his hair, he ruffled it in a state of panic, reversing out of the car park.

"That heart belongs to a demon, and with a demon's heart is the soul." Driving out the car park, he was faced almost instantly was a set of red lights. "I've only seen it once before, but when Yui's in danger that thing takes complete control of her body. She could lose herself entirely in it and never come back. And if that happens…" He fell silent, driving far faster than deemed safe up the hill and to the left down one of the many busy roads he would follow to the Sakamaki mansion.

"Should we bring a gun?"

"No. A knife will do."

* * *

People often ask me why I write. I tell them it's because I'm a writer. Not really a right answer to that question. It's like the true blue sky question. On that note, thank you for reading this far and things will start taking a turn for the worse soon enough. That is, if they haven't already.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"_If you see it again, kill me." She said when Ichirou entered the hospital room, most of her bandages removed to reveal red scars and dots along her legs and some sections of her arms; areas where the skin had to be stapled back together. The nurse said that she did not scream when the staples were taken out; she did not so much as flinch, though the numbness of her entire body was a result of that._

"_What do you mean?" Ichirou had a calm face, though Yui was more certain in her conviction with her fresh eyes staring on ahead, looking at something that he could not see, flickering a weak green. He knew about the surgery, glancing at the bed to her side._

"_One eye black, one green. You saw it, didn't you?" She let her eyes wander away; turning her head the smallest amount to the window where she could see bleak grey streets and people like ants. "They aren't mine. I have no special abilities, only my strength, when it happens. However, I will kill anything and everything that is close, and I won't stop. Nothing will stop me."_

_She made an effort to rise, Ichirou stepping forward to stop her, resting a shoulder firmly on her shoulder. Yui did not protest, opening the cabinet settled between her bed and the empty one. From the drawer, she pulled out a knife made of a light grey. _

"_This is made of silver. Normally it's used to kill vampires, but if aimed for the heart it will kill me as well."_

"_Komori…"_

"_Aim strong and whatever you do, do not miss. Do you understand?" Ichirou hated the idea of taking down one of his companions, hesitation on his face before lowering his head, letting out a low sigh._

"_If that's what you want." He hid the knife in his pocket as the nurse came in._

"_Miss Komori, you are supposed to be resting."_

"_I'm feeling a little better today." She said with the smile that everyone knew. It was gentle, caring smile, but her eyes were tired and calm and void of the gentility she attempted to show. "I thought I'd get some fresh air as well."_

* * *

Ichirou could feel the knife in his jacket pocket even as he drove, a cold reminder that soon enough he might be facing her as s danger to human society, clutching the steering wheel to cool his nerves. The city lights became barren, buildings spread further and further apart as the trees filled the gaps, becoming thick and lush, shifting into the forest that led up to the Sakamaki household.

* * *

She rubbed her eyes with the inside of her elbow, arms chained to the ceiling. While she was strong, she was not nearly as powerful as a vampire of any level, the eyes having faded to their ordinary state, but her body was a wreck and she could feel a fever springing up, almost blind with tears.

'I… almost forgot.' She had strong self-control, and had been training for a long time to supress the other half, but in her weakest state it could not be helped that such a thing would be allowed to run wild, her whole body always aching once it was over.

The others had joined, having heard the struggle from the floor above. She could not see them clearly and did not want to; the only thing she wanted was to sleep and eat. She could not hear, but she knew they were talking about her. Kanato probably mentioned what happened, and if he did not the chances were they walked in on it. They were probably wondering what to do with her. Should they dispose of her? Though their father did mention that she was not to be killed under any circumstances. They, of course, had their own personal reasons for keeping her alive.

They came to some sort of agreement and left the cell, locking it tight just in case she broke out, leaving the cellar and leaving her in darkness. Yui did not mind. She was tired and wanted to sleep. She wished her situation to be less frustrating. The heartbeat that echoed in her ears repulsed her. She wanted to live, she could not deny that much, but with a core like hers she could only feel terror at any moment she did not have full control of her emotions, the hums of Cordelia's voice lurking somewhere in the back of her mind.

'Heh. Maybe I should call Haru. He's good with surgical stuff.' He could probably replace the heart if she asked, though it would be a hefty price, and she would have to give something else up in the process, though she would not know what it would be. 'That's fine with me.'

Letting her head rock back, she stared up at the ceiling. It was sturdy, intended to keep people stuck in place no matter how hard they tried to break free. Her head rocked forward, the neck straining as she let her eyes flutter. When and if she got out, she would make sure it was cut out of her for good. Perhaps then she would retire and start a family of her own.

'No one I'm really interested in, though.' She never thought about actually finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, though she always imagined herself as a mother with faceless children and a faceless husband, an uncertainty she would find out at some point in the future. 'Maybe if I travel around I'll meet someone.' She did not care for much of the little details, so long as they did not consider her a maniac for what she experienced. 'Yeah, I'll do that.'

* * *

She had drifted asleep at one point, no noticeable dream coming to mind upon awakening, the sound of the door opening and the rattling of the cage door making her lift her head to acknowledge the figure. The youngest member of the family yet often mistaken for being older, with white hair and one eye covered. He was very silent in what he did, undoing the chains around her wrists, though not helping her when she slumped down, putting a tray of food down by the floor, refusing to look her in the eye as he did so.

"From the others or from you?" He did not answer, letting out a grumble as he took a step back. She said very little, taking the cup of weak tea. Certainly Reiji was not the one to make food for her. "You're not a good person, Subaru." He flinched at this, as though she had stabbed him in the back, which in some way she did. "You do try though, so I can't complain."

He watched the whole time, watching every forced move with careful intensity. The weak tea and buttered bread was all she got; it was very likely that the others did not know, there was no way they would be so kind. Subaru was rarely obvious in his kindness either; he usually covered it up with threats and the smashing of nearby objects.

"Thank you." A flush of red appeared on his face, taking away the tray and leaving in a hurry, slamming the cell door shut behind him. He left it unlocked in his hurry, and Yui let a smirk of sorts appear on her face. "Watch out, Subaru, you're making me fond of you again." She would not succumb to that dreaded thing labelled Stockholm syndrome any time soon.

Rising, she settled on a short wait. Ichirou would come soon; she did not need her eyes to know that much. Her hand tingled with an unfamiliar pain as she moved it, the nails still in place. Putting on her toughest front, She pulled them out of place, one after the other. It was less painful removing them, because there was nothing to break through, but the shatter bone moved. It would take a while before she could use her pinkie.

'I am _definitely _ retiring when this is over.'

* * *

This series is coming close to its end already. Wow I such. I don't really ship Yui with any of the family members; they're far too dangerous to hang around and she's aware of this. If she ever did retire she'd just end up living alone in the middle of the countryside or something occasionally wandering to the nearest village. Peace and quiet is something she certainly deserves.

But, of course, I'm not going to give you that sort of ending. Now why would I do that?


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

She could hear faint music playing in the background, though she could no longer tell whether it was her own mind or if it was actual music that was playing, almost mocking her desire for quiet. She was thankful, nonetheless, because it meant it was far more difficult to hear her out and that was what she was aiming for.

For a moment, everything went black, a sensation that could only be described as falling flooding to the surface. She held onto the wall as her body threatened to collapse in on itself, letting out small pants before making an effort to rise again before the heavy black pushed to the front of her vision again, the pale spidery hands reaching out for her.

'Damn it.' The house was like a disease that was slowly consuming her. It never developed this badly before, and never with frequent blindness. Cordelia was tugging at every opportunity and with increasing ferocity; the familiarity of the building seemingly supplying her some unknown extra power she never had before. She took only a few steps forward before it came again, threatening to tear Yui apart. 'Get out of my head!' She screamed into the abyss of her mind, pressing the palms of her hands against her temples with such strength that had she used more she would have fractured her skull, slumping to the ground as attack after attack took over. She could not even leave the main entrance hall and her mind was being consumed. She could not walk and her body felt as though it was slowly baking in an oven on increasing heat, resting her sore head against the wall, almost tempted to smack it against the solid material if only to banish the dead demon from her existence.

* * *

The gates came into sight as soon as they reached the opening, sealed shut with no intentions of letting anyone in. They stood menacingly in the dark, the clouds blocking their only source of light. Yui pushed through, the squeak of the gates acknowledging their presence to anyone who felt the need to listen. Ichirou followed on, crunching forward along the gravel, ears listening closely for the slightest disturbance.

There was no sound. No animals spoke up, but Ichirou was not even certain there were any animals living in the woods to start with; it was as though all living creatures fled from the sight; their instincts gently whispering that this was a place that nothing should rest at. The fact that humans also did this only served as a reminder that they were not so different from other species.

They took the back entrance as they knew best to avoid front entrances of every building they came across throughout their lives, Ichirou ahead as they passed on into the kitchen, currently quiet and devoid of danger, everything in its rightful place and everything clean. They did not know where Yui was at first, but Ichirou was good at tracking and soon located her upstairs.

* * *

She had collapsed in her struggle, staring up at the dark pink canopy of the bed that had been hers for several months not too long ago. Lying on the silken sheets with her finger bandaged and tied to her ring finger. Tilting her head from left to right she found that she was not in a dream but wide awake, though her brain still pulsed after the vicious attack of Cordelia who rested silently now, having exhausted her own abilities in an attempt to break loose.

'I'm going to have to cut it out.' Was her first thought, lifting herself up with shaky arms. She was shivering terribly, her body colder than it should have been. She was almost literally freezing in her own sweat, her forehead damp, her breathing ragged as she looked around the room. 'Who found me?' It would have been more logical to lock her up in the prison cell, though considering the fact that she had almost escaped twice, they most likely concluded that the third time would truly be a charm and she would escape that time around.

Lifting the blankets, she twisted her body to stand away from the bed.

"You'll only collapse again if you stand up." She stopped, recognising the voice as Reiji's. He had somehow escaped her notice and was pouring a strange tea in a cup. "Sit back down."

She shifted back into the bed as ordered, not willing to leave the room anyway, watching Reiji place the teapot on the tray, handing the cup to her as though he was actually concerned about her health. She took it delicately, her hands almost too shaky to keep it still as she brought it to her lips.

Nothing tasted unusual. It was just tea and nothing more; completely out of Reiji's usual character, but Yui could not say she knew Reiji especially well, only that he adored his tea and demanded discipline and well manners, and he made no sign of wanting to express much more. Even in that moment he was only observing, calculating something unknown in his mind.

"I would ask how things are here, but I already know."

"Yes, it seems as though you did. Letting the girl escape was one of the few things you did right in this operation of yours." Yui let out a low chuckle, admitting to her recklessness and lack of preparation.

"I don't plan to make any more slip-ups. This mission isn't over." She took a quiet sip of the tea still brimming hot.

"Are you talking about your escape plan by chance?"

"I might be." At this, a smile appeared on Reiji's face; an uncommon and unsettling sight that almost instantly set her teeth on edge for when he smiled it was never good for her or for anyone else.

"You must be talking about your companions downstairs." At this, Yui's entire body tensed up, a feeling of pure and utter dread flooding over her. "Oh? You did not know?" Reiji rose, turning to leave the room as Yui stumbling out of the bed, kicking the sheets behind her as they threatened to tie around her, the tea spilling across the carpet as she ran towards the closing door, a single glare from Reiji. "I'll have to punish you for that later."

"Don't you dare hurt them!" She yelled as the door was locked tight, slamming her fists against the wood of the door. "You lay a finger on them and I'll kill you! You hear me!? I'll kill you!"

* * *

This series is almost near it's end. For once, I planned the final chapters after realising that if I did not then I would just come up with jubbedly gook. Only about four more left; I hope you look forward to our conclusion.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

The door was stubborn and did not waver at her beatings and yells, as strong as it ought to be, kicking until her legs ached, slumping to the ground, letting out the most pathetic sigh, running a hand almost manically though her hair, tugging at the strands, some hair falling out in her obsessive manner as she felt panic take over her.

Once she realised she was panicking she stopped, the realisation that something was waking in the pit of her stomach freezing her. She could not afford another switch, breathing in and out at a steady pace, hiccups emerging for several seconds, but she would not let tears prick her eyes; she needed to stay calm regardless of the situation. If _she _was not calm then the others would become aware of just how grim their situation was and everyone got a little dangerous when they came to the conclusion that there was no way out.

After approximately a minute, the ticking of the clock confirming this, Yui lifted herself upwards, stumbling only the smallest amount, a loud puff of breath escaping her lips, analysing the room and all potential escapes. There was, obviously, the door, and there was also the balcony window but it was locked for the time being and smashing through it would catch the attention of the others; they had top notch hearing which was a problem for her. There was no ventilation or at least visible ventilation as far as she could tell and the window was becoming an ever possible solution.

A chandelier hung above her, rather small but still illuminating the room perfectly, and there was a fireplace, but she did not like the concept of getting stuck in such a place and knew that it would get tighter the higher she climbed. If she could break the chandelier away from the ceiling there was the possibility of having a hole to break through, and the chances were that it would make significantly less noise than the window.

'But it will take too long.' It was not made of plaster or some other weak material and she had little to break said chandelier down, and wires were always a problem, walking up to the bed with only a slight increase in speed indicating her feverish desire to reach her friends and get out, and if she could not do that then…

She settled on the window, choosing speed over quiet, grateful then for the heart-shaped white chair that had been left in its usual place, never bothering to contemplate why they gave her much at all during her stay, lifting the heavy object, throwing it at the window pane with all her might, glass shattering and scattering into several pieces that fell as an extra layer to the carpet and stone floor in tiny fragments.

There was no time spent making something to climb down; they had no doubt heard her, hooking her legs over the stone fence, clinging to the bottom with aching hands, the left screaming out, recalling the gaping holes in the pinkie, clenching her jaw to avoid yelling, eyes forced shut as voices emerged, noticing the smashed open window and the absence of the girl.

"She must have jumped off." Laito was the one to lean over the balcony, as though checking for a corpse as she shuffled from hand to hand out of his sight praying that none of the others would notice the small white hands as they searched. "Honestly, Bitch-chan sure is stubborn. She couldn't stay in one place for five minutes, now we have to find her again." There was obvious frustration on his face, though the smile remained as he turned away, Yui knowing that if she was caught a familiar punishment to the one she had already experienced would occur, listening closely with ever increasing fright. "And after I went through the effort of playing with her." The clunks of footsteps and the click of the door were her cues, climbing back over the balcony.

There would be no point in locking the door if no one was there after all, and only someone who wanted their foot broken would jump from the second storey window, and she would need all the strength she could get, tender footsteps towards the door, pressing her ear against the wood before turning the knob and peeking her head through, looking for the slightest of threats before shuffling through.

The chances were that they were watching over her friends, knowing that she would attempt to free them. They were not thick enough to believe that she would leave without them and she was not steely enough to consider it, down the corridors and the servant stairway wondering whether the servants were awake but soon dismissing the concept under the pretence that it would be morning soon and even the Sakamaki's ought to be asleep, creeping down the creaking stairs to the kitchen area where Subaru stood, searching for something to eat without the actual desire to eat anything at all, this evident in his face as he wandered almost aimlessly.

He was the most caring of them all and assisted in her first escape and her next, so she could at least confirm that from time to time he was working with her and not against her, but at that moment and time she was uncertain; what if it was all a double bluff to deceive her into believing he was on her side?

'No, he's not that sort of person.' Even knowing him as little as she did she knew that he was helpless when it came to lying, tugging at a strand of her hair as she contemplated her next actions. Regardless of his position she needed to get to the dungeon; there was nowhere else that they would be waiting for her. Dragging her teeth along her lower lip, she made her presence known though not immediately, going through the act of pretending to sneak up on him as he turned, red eyes facing pink flooded with panic and further frustration at the sight of her.

"What are you doing here? They'll find you!" He was too loud for her comfort, raising and lowering her hands as a sign of this, glancing at the open door frightful that one might have overheard.

"Are they in the dungeon?" She could be speaking either about his brothers or her friends, and there was a simple yes to both, watching the slightest glimmer of nervousness flood her eyes before it was suddenly cut off, dissipating into a cool calm.

"Just leave now; they won't think you'll do that." The thought alone sickened her, accusation forming on her face.

"I'm not going to leave anyone behind. I don't care what happens after that." So long as they were out of the place, even in the worst of shape, then all was well or relatively well; it was far better than staying. "Do you… have one of those knives? I gave mine to the man in there."

"No." That was just her luck; she was going in with just her hands, feeling her shoulders tense as she continued down the path. Subaru would not stop her, knowing that he had at least tried to warn her, cursing to himself as she stepped down into the darkness, his entire body telling him to chase after her and forcibly throw her out whether she liked it or not, but the chances were that she would return again, cursing yet again, slamming his first into the wall as she disappeared from sight most likely for good.

A single bulb lit the chamber, flickering in and out as she clunked down the stairs with her hands at her side and a strong expression on her face, the occasional drawing of teeth along the lips the only known visible sign of worry beyond her eyes which expressed more than she could possibly imagine, coming into the light stopping as she saw them there, her own two companions in separate cells at least, letting her eyes wander from them to the Sakamaki's; the select few that chose to be there at least.

"Eyes, get out of here!" She ignored the voices, whether they came from the Sakamaki's or from her friends, noting the silver blade left on the table. They had stripped them of weapons at least, but to leave them in such an open place was foolish, picking up the blade, eyeing each member with the panicked eyes she did not know she had.

"You planning on killing us all, Pancake?" It was be impossible, and she was not the killing kind despite popular belief. She would not be able to cope with taking another life regardless of what they had done to her or her friends, lifting the knife more as a warning than anything else.

"Why are you so persistent in keeping me here?" She did not know who to attack or how to distance them from the door then open the door, and then they had to flee the site. To commit to such a feat was impossible and she wished that she had some form of smoke bomb that would have allowed her to attempt to knock them out; it would have been something to try and she regretted not thinking about using flour beforehand.

"Isn't it obvious? You have the best blood a vampire can hope for." Humans and vampires were, after all, completely different species and humans were labelled as nothing more than livestock, so to them she was nothing more than the prize cow with the best milk: it would be extremely troublesome if they were to die.

A smile appeared on her face then; the worst kind of smile that implied she had a plan that no one, including herself, would be happy with, turning the knife on herself.

"If you don't let them go I stab out this heart." She said, and she said it with the utmost sincerity. They had to keep their prey alive and if they happened to die a hospital would be needed. So whether they took her threat seriously or not did not matter, it would distract them long enough that there would be fewer people guarding the cell doors, allowing them a chance at escape while she personally was taken away to hospital to be treated. If they took her threat seriously then they would be free and allowed to walk away, and she would flee with them as was originally planned, glancing at the remaining traps that sat on the table. As they fled they could throw some of the flares on the ground, blinding them as they ran.

There came no response, almost daring her to commit to her threat, the smile spreading on her face before dropping completely, a slight shrug of the shoulders.

"Seems you have me exactly where you want me."

There was a glimmer of arrogance on their faces before she plunged the knife through her chest directly to the festering heart that was the cause of her problems, struggling against the ribs before breaking through, her body oscillating for a single second before drifting downwards, knocking into the ground with a silent thud, the entire chamber falling into a grim, quiet state of panic.

"Yui!"

* * *

Let's all laugh as I kill off our main character. We're almost at our end.


End file.
